COVID-19 has delivered each of us a personalized set of challenges and worries, as uncertainty about the future has become the new norm. It can feel as though our most important plans have been derailed, making it easy for us to want to throw our hands up in defeat.
Many people have given themselves over to frustration, as they emotionally resist the prolonged realities of our slower pace of life and social isolation. Others have adopted a form of laziness as a coping mechanism, resolving to put their lives and dreams on hold until they’re ‘possible’ again.
A shift in mindset
We all need to find our own way during the global pandemic. Understandably, for most, the unexpected journey has come with heavy emotions, and eventually, some level of giving in to our new realities.
Acceptance can be a healthy approach to COVID-19, but for the idealists and go-getters among us, it can feel suffocating to sit back for too long.
A third approach, aside from frustration or acceptance, is available: to adapt to the changes and move forward with our goals during COVID-19. This is neither stressful nor passive. It offers an alternative to the daily commiserating or ‘waiting it out’ in front of the screen. It is an empowered, uplifting approach that begins with a shift in mindset and translates into action.
After my own setbacks during COVID-19, I decided to take this more fulfilling path. That is not to say that there are not days when I fall back into fear and anxiety, like the best of us. However, I firmly believe that we are the masters of our lives. People can be incredibly resilient and resourceful, in the face of changing circumstances.
When we focus on the strengths within us and take decisive action to reach our personal goals, the restrictions around COVID-19 won’t stop us. It’s time for us to rely more on ourselves than on the things we can’t control, and strive to live our best lives, despite COVID-19.
My evolving story
At the beginning of 2020, I was studying abroad on the island of Mauritius, when I was suddenly advised that I needed to return to The Netherlands due to COVID-19. At first, I was overcome by fear about the consequences to my health and finishing my thesis.
On top of this, I felt emotionally conflicted about flying back to The Netherlands, rather than my home country of Canada. As borders closed and the pandemic swept across the globe, like most of us, I felt uncertain about my future. I realized I had to make a choice.
It was far too easy to fall into the ‘victim’ role, and use the interruption as an excuse to delay my studies. Everyone seemed genuinely sympathetic and understanding if this would be the case. Many people assumed that continuing my research in Mauritius would be impossible, something I myself questioned at first. Luckily, I tapped into my true self beneath the circumstances, and resolved to take charge of my situation again.
After settling in The Netherlands for a week, I committed to the idea of carrying out my studies remotely, however possible. A creative plan naturally followed, once I directed my energy towards finding solutions. I discussed my ideas for using social media with my supervisor, and a few months later, I was able to complete my thesis.
The skills I gained by going beyond the traditional academic norms have been surprisingly relevant now, though vastly different than the ones I set out to obtain. Following my quiet inner voice, despite unexpected setbacks, ultimately led to the experience I needed.
We can control ourselves
The power of perspective is undeniable during challenging times. If you don’t believe you will accomplish a goal, you simply won’t put in the mental effort needed to figure out a plan and follow through. It is the main force separating those who succeed from those who don’t.
There are always opportunities waiting to be discovered by those who are paying attention with a positive mind. It’s easy to see how this is true in the opposite sense, if you have ever woken up feeling negative and your entire day managed to follow suit.
With COVID-19 essentially being one prolonged ‘bad day’ that we want to see the end of, it’s critical that we take charge of the one factor we can control—ourselves, and more specifically, our mindset. Actions follow our thoughts, so we must get our perspective in check if we want to move forward on our goals, despite COVID-19.
Shifting our perspective towards the positive is a process. In my case, it helped me to first allow myself the space to feel confused and vent my frustrations, without pressure to figure out a solution immediately.
I then focused on my gratitude for the positive aspects of my new situation. I moved on to a constructive state of mind, where I journaled about my goals and tapped into my original motivations.
Opportunities are precious
Once we set our minds to accomplishing a specific goal, and stop being attached to an outdated idea or plan, creative solutions open up to us. We must evolve and commit to our course of action, without yet having the answers that we will succeed.
I have found that adapting my perspective and taking positive actions have been key to my well-being during COVID-19. As a two-step process that we can control, it is far more empowering than relying on external circumstances. With a little patience and a lot of determination, we begin to see our progress unfold.
In these trying times, we have come to understand that the opportunities we have long taken for granted are precious. There is no better time than now to show up as our best selves in life, during COVID-19.
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image 1 Image by PIRO4D from Pixabay 2 Image by John Hain from Pixabay 3 Image by Comfreak from Pixabay 4 Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay 5 Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay
